Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London Strand Lane 'Roman Baths'

Strand Lane 'Roman Baths'

Victorian-era Londoners really wanted to believe this 17th-century cistern was actually an ancient artifact.

London, England

Added By
AmunyAnkhesenra
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The “Roman” bath.   Michael Trapp/cc by-sa 4.0
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The view into the bath.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
The bath on Strand Lane.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
Window looking into the bath.   AmunyAnkhesenra / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In 1838, an establishment on Strand Lane known as the "Old Roman Spring Baths" appeared in a London trade directory, under the proprietorship of a Mr. Charles Scott. Patrons could take a plunge into the cool waters of one of the two pools found there, but within a decade, most visitors were attracted by an interest in seeing a survivor of Roman London. 

Business also almost certainly benefitted from the baths featuring in Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield, and their inclusion in many London guidebooks. But unfortunately for those 19th-century tourists, they had been duped.

The oldest part of the baths only dated back to the early 17th century, when a cistern had been constructed to feed a fountain at the nearby old Somerset House (the predecessor to the current building of the same name on that site). After the demolition of the fountain, the cistern was left derelict for many years before being brought into use as a cold bath in the 1770s. The original cistern was soon joined by a newer pool, lined with marble and surrounded by a stone-flagged floor and tiled walls.

Once the canny businessman declared them Roman baths though, the presumption that they were ancient stuck fast in the mind of the public—and indeed in the minds of some of the subsequent owners. Even though later owners were quick to dismiss the newer pool (and indeed sell it off) as a later addition, they sought to “restore” the cistern to its Roman appearance, with it receiving not one, but two “refurbishments” to cover the brickwork in marble and stucco.

The restorations did not bring in the desired crowds of visitors though, and by the mid-20th century, the baths were closed. They passed into the hands of the National Trust in 1947. After repair and redecoration (removing much of the marble), the baths were opened to the public as a historical curiosity in 1951.

Currently, the baths seem to be in danger of falling back into neglect again. Tucked away as they are on an alleyway, with little signposting, they receive few visitors. It doesn’t help that the main gate leading to them on nearby Surrey Street is usually locked. For those who do find them, they are often only viewable through a window, which is frequently fogged up, and relies on an external switch to provide light to the interior.

Related Tags

Water Bath House Hoaxes

Know Before You Go

The baths are managed for the National Trust by Westminster Council. If you’d like to view the baths today, please make an appointment to view them by contacting Westminster Council. To arrange your viewing, please email dcreese@westminster.gov.uk or call Monday to Friday or 0207 641 5264

Please note, viewings are only available from Monday to Friday, and require at least one weeks advance notice. Viewing times in the summer are April - September , 12.00 noon -4.00pm, and in the winter are October to March, 12.00 noon to 3.00pm.

After one has made an appointment, directions will be given to access the baths. You will be told to meet a guide at a certain location, be on the look out for a yellow/ hi-vis. vest/gilet.

Community Contributors

Added By

AmunyAnkhesenra

Edited By

SEANETTA, Kerry Wolfe, Snowdrop68

  • SEANETTA
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Snowdrop68

Published

March 8, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Baths,_Strand_Lane
Strand Lane 'Roman Baths'
Strand Lane
London, England, WC2R 2NA
United Kingdom
51.511587, -0.115601
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Aldwych Tube Station

London, England

miles away

The Deadhouse

London, England

miles away

Twinings Tea Shop

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Nearby Places

Aldwych Tube Station

London, England

miles away

The Deadhouse

London, England

miles away

Twinings Tea Shop

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Related Places

  • Shahi Hammam (Wazir Khan’s hammam)

    Lahore, Pakistan

    Shahi Hammam

    A perfectly restored 17th-century hammam in the heart of Lahore.

  • Arches in the Arab baths

    Elche, Spain

    Arab Baths

    Hidden underground, a remarkable 10th-century bath complex survives virtually unaltered.

  • Lightning Ridge Baths

    Lightning Ridge, Australia

    Lightning Ridge Artesian Bore Baths

    On the outskirts of an opal-mining town, these baths fed by a massive underground aquifer are a natural spa.

  • Ice cream on North Parade in Matlock Bath.

    Matlock Bath, England

    Matlock Bath

    A seaside town with no sea in sight.

  • Tbilisi, Georgia

    Tbilisi Sulfur Baths

    A cluster of historic bathhouses built on the famed hot springs that gave the Georgian capital its name.

  • Summer 2013.

    Helsinki, Finland

    Sompasauna

    No matter how many times this community-run sauna gets destroyed, it always rises from the ashes.

  • A typical Khettara well.

    Fezna Ouled Jellal, Morocco

    Jorf Khettaras

    An ancient irrigation system that turned arid deserts into oases.

  • Water rushes through the upper reaches of the scar.

    Westmorland and Furness, England

    Ewbank Scar

    Water demonstrates its carving power along a Cumbrian trail.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.